libcad

CAD reimagined

libcad introduces a novel concept: CAD as a library. Built from the ground up for ease of scripting and integration, libcad can be used for any application, from custom design environments to lightweight web rendering and design automation.

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Why libcad?

Completely Free

libcad is provided under the permissive MIT license, allowing use for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial.

Cross-Platform

libcad runs on all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Web and mobile.

Self-Contained

libcad depends only on standard utilities provided by your OS. All other dependencies are embedded directly into the library itself.

Lightweight

The entire library is built into a single file that measures less than 10MB.

Scriptable

libcad is built with scripting in mind, enabling easy integration into any application or workflow.

Multi-Language

libcad itself is written in C, but bindings are available for C++, JavaScript and Python.

libcad in Practice

Example 1: Creating and exporting a cube to STL

import cad

# create a new document
document = cad.new_document("cube")

# create a sketch and add a centered rectangle to it (100x100mm)
sketch = document.add_sketch()
rectangle = sketch.add_center_rect(0, 0, 100, 100)

# extrude the rectangle into a cube with a height of 100mm
cube = rectangle.extrude(100)

# export the cube as an STL file
cube.export_stl("cube.stl")

Example 2: Visualizing a model

import cad

# load a document
document = cad.load_document("cube")

# create a view and add a callback to rotate the camera over time
view = document.create_view()
view.add_update_callback(
    lambda time, camera: camera.set_rotation(0, 0, math.sin(time) * 360)
)

# show the view in a window
view.show()